Prince William is set to travel to Vatican City over the weekend to represent the British royal family at the funeral of Pope Francis via PEOPLE.
The leader of the Catholic Church will be laid to rest on Saturday, April 26th, in a ceremony attended by foreign dignitaries, religious leaders, royalty and more. The Prince of Wales, will attend the funeral on behalf of his father, King Charles.
Similarly, Charles had attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005 when he was heir to the throne, representing Queen Elizabeth. In fact, the pope’s funeral pushed back his wedding to Queen Camilla by one day so he and others could attend.
No one from the British royal family attended Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s 2023 funeral. He was not granted a state funeral because he had already retired as head of the Catholic Church.
The announcement of Prince William’s attendance at the funeral is the latest instance of the Prince of Wales taking over more senior royal duties as heir. He represented the British monarchy at the reopening of the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on December 7th, attending alongside world leaders such as President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and more.
King Charles, and Queen Camilla, met with Pope Francis just 12 days before he died, on April 9th. The royal couple was on a state visit to Italy at the time, and their original plans to meet with the church leader were canceled due to his recent health setbacks but they were able to privately meet. Gifts were exchanged during the 20-minute meeting, and the Pope wished the King and Queen a happy 20th wedding anniversary, which fell on the same day as their meeting.
Following the news of the pontiff’s death on Easter Monday, the King released an official statement via Buckingham Palace.
“My wife and I were most deeply saddened to learn of the death of Pope Francis,” the monarch said. “Our heavy hearts have been somewhat eased, however, to know that His Holiness was able to share an Easter Greeting with the Church and the world he served with such devotion throughout his life and ministry.”
“His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others,” King Charles continued his tribute. “His belief that care for Creation is an existential expression of faith in God resounded with so many across the world. Through his work and care for both people and planet, he profoundly touched the lives of so many.”
